


Falling

by sylvermyth



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Blood, Season 7 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 15:11:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15643314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sylvermyth/pseuds/sylvermyth
Summary: It feels like it’s Shiro’s heart that’s dropping, accelerating with gravity until it hits the ground in an explosion of desert sand and dust until there’s nothing to see but the signs of impact.





	Falling

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill on tumblr from [caseyvalhalla](http://caseyvalhalla.tumblr.com): comforting sheith kisses plz <3
> 
> This was also just an explosion of season seven feels (this is your last warning for spoilers).
> 
> Title from the song by Florence + the Machine

There’s no time.

There’s no time and Shiro feels helpless.  It’s something he’s familiar with, although he’s never gotten used to it and he hates it, _hates it_ , but all of those other times feel pale in comparison to this.

This:  watching the lions of Voltron plummet to Earth in every direction, still and lifeless and unresponsive.  They’ve overcome so much, and every time it feels like maybe this time they won’t–just like right now.  Shiro’s fingers are numb even as they fly over the console, zooming in on each of the lions, stilling as an image of the metal hulk of Black pops up in the center of the screen.

It feels like it’s Shiro’s heart that’s dropping, accelerating with gravity until it hits the ground in an explosion of desert sand and dust until there’s nothing to see but the signs of impact.

He knows the others need help, too, that he can’t prioritize any one of them over the others, that they’re _all_ important to him, but that doesn’t make him any less desperate to get to _Keith_ , first.  Shiro’s own voice sounds distant in his ears as he directs the MFE pilots to take point on the rescue teams to the lions, their superior speed ideal for a first response, before Shiro’s steering the Atlas towards the fifth lion.

Towards Keith and Black.  Towards his _heart_ , laid out in a crumpled heap on the hard ground.

(He cried for Adam, when he learned of his sacrifice, but Shiro had never expected a warm welcome from him when he returned.  Only hoped for closure, and _this_ was his life, now, anyway.)

He stops the colossal mech at a safe distance, careful not to disturb the silent lion at its feet.  There are already people on the move, making their way to Black, but Shiro needs to be there _now_.  He’s out the door to the bridge before he’s even aware of it, feet slamming against the metal floors and he barely feels it.  Everything hurts and is simultaneously numb, and he needs to stop, to rest and recover because he’s definitely injured, but he _needs to see Keith_.  Needs to make sure he’s alive.

Shiro’s lungs burn and his heart pounds and he’s still so far away, _why is this ship so fucking big–_

There’s a bright flash of light and soft fur colliding with Shiro, and then he’s outside, just out of reach of one of Black’s deadly claws.  The momentum of the teleportation sends him sprawling to his hands and knees, hot sand under his human palm, but Shiro’s on his feet again in a second.  Shiro tries not to think about why Kosmo decides to hang back, whining softly, as he scrambles around to Black’s head.

He’s gotten used to silence from Black, in general, since returning to life–her bond is with Keith, now–but this is a different kind of silence, and Shiro’s waning adrenaline spikes with his fear.  He’s panting when he makes it around Black’s leg and within sight of Black’s open jaws and–

_“Keith!”_

Shiro’s leg pump in one last burst of speed before he’s collapsing next to Keith.  His helmet’s off and there’s _red_ , so much red where there isn’t supposed to be, seeping into the sand and smeared over the white plates of Keith’s armor, wet and sticky where it’s oozing from a gash on his head, and Shiro feels dizzy with how much blood there seems to be.

“No, no, nonono _no–_ ”  Shiro doesn’t know where to touch, and everything seems too much, suddenly.  He’s finally coming to a stop, and it’s here, like this, and he can’t seem to think, can’t seem to remember what he should be doing for first aid, but he at least needs to know–

His fingers shake as he tries to press them against Keith’s neck, and Shiro isn’t even sure if that’s Keith’s pulse or his own that he feels fluttering there.

“Keith!”  Shiro’s voice sounds hoarse and watery in his own ears, and after hours of being so sure and calm and collected, he feels exhausted, and this is a blow he’s not sure he can survive.  After everything–

“Shi…ro…”  It’s so quiet that Shiro nearly doesn’t hear it over the sound of his own breathing, but Keith’s closed eyes flutter.  He doesn’t open them, and he’s still not moving, but he’s breathing at least, his chest moving with it now that Shiro’s focused on it, and Shiro makes a choked sound, relief flooding through him.

“Keith,” comes out as a sob, this time, and Shiro gathers him up in his arms with as much care as possible, suppressing the urge to squeeze him tight because it won’t make a difference; Keith’s not going anywhere.  Shiro won’t _let_ him.  This is the man who dragged him back from death, who has stubbornly held on to Shiro and saved him time and time again without a second thought, and Shiro is more than ready to return the favor, if he has to.

Shiro shifts his grip so he can smooth Keith’s hair back from his face, gentle and wary of the gash on his head.  He looks paler than usual, his face almost grey, and it’s worrying, but Shiro can hear the hum of a vehicle somewhere behind them, coming with help.  Shiro leans down to Keith’s ear, voice soft and soothing, “Keith, you’re okay.  You’re going to be okay.  I’m here, I’m going to make sure of it.”

Keith makes a small noise and his eyes flutter again, enough for Shiro to see a hint of deep blue under the fringe of his lashes.  Shiro’s heart clenches in his chest, and he’s too shaken, too afraid to stop himself from leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to Keith’s forehead.  To his cheeks, and then a tentative one to Keith’s lips, chapped and bloody but Shiro doesn’t care–he only cares that Keith’s lips move weakly against his own.

He says, “I love you, too,” in a breath over Keith’s lips, before he’s straightening and turning to watch the first aid crew step around Black’s massive paws.  Shiro’s too weak to stand, he realizes when the crew approaches him and Keith–too weak to help them load Keith onto the stretcher.  Someone helps him to his feet and then into the makeshift ambulance, and Shiro slumps into the seat there.  He rests a hand on Keith, just to be touching him.  He hears someone say, “Your lip is bleeding, Captain,” and Shiro realizes it’s Keith’s blood on his lip.  He wipes it away absently, because Keith’s eyes are still slitted, and Shiro’s too busy to care about anything other than murmuring praise and comfort to him.

.o.

Everything hurts.

That’s good, Keith thinks, because it means he’s alive.  He didn’t expect to survive, and it’s not the first time he was ready to sacrifice himself for the greater good, but it just won’t stick.  He’s probably doing his Galra heritage proud– _victory or death, knowledge or death_.  The ideal is the same, he figures, Blade or not.

Black is quiet around him, but Keith can sense a faint flicker at the back of his mind.  It’s enough for him to latch onto so he can haul at the controls and coax her jaws open, so he can stumble out of her cockpit and into the arid desert.

_Home_ , he thinks distantly, tugging his helmet off so he can breathe in fresh air.  Keith’s helmet tumbles out of his hands, but he barely notices.

He’s light-headed and weak, and only makes it a couple steps before his legs give out.  It’s okay, though, because there’s an expanse of bright blue sky above him, and the grit of sand and dust below him.  Maybe he will die, after all, but that’s okay.  The sky is clear of Galran ships, only vapor trails and smoke as evidence of their presence in the first place.

Everything hurts, but it’s not all bad.  It’s nice, Keith thinks after his eyes have already drifted shut, because he thinks that’s Shiro’s voice he hears.  Telling him he’s going to be okay, and if Shiro says it, then it’s probably true.

It’s nice, because Shiro’s kissing him, light presses of lips that stop when they find Keith’s, and maybe it’s a dream but Keith does his best to kiss him back.  It’s not much, but Keith feels a little better even past all the hurts.

His thoughts drift off, but Shiro said Keith was going to be okay, and Keith knows he will be.


End file.
